HRH Princess Pilolevu Tuita visits Niuatoputapu [1]
Saturday, October 3, 2009 - 12:06. Updated on Friday, August 7, 2015 - 12:15.
The Princess Regent, Her Royal Highness, Princess Salote Mafile‘o Pilolevu Tuita, departed Nuka‘alofa at 10.00am this morning on a chartered flight for Niuatoputapu. She was accompanied by the Hon Acting Prime Minister, Lord Tuita, as well as the Hon Minister for Environment, Lord Ma‘afu.
The Princess Regent, Her Royal Highness, Princess Salote Mafile‘o Pilolevu Tuita, departed Nuka‘alofa at 10.00am this morning on a chartered flight for Niuatoputapu. She was accompanied by the Hon Acting Prime Minister, Lord Tuita, as well as the Hon Minister for Environment, Lord Ma‘afu. The Princess Regent had expressed her desire to view the destruction caused by the tsunami and to personally meet and grieve with the people of Niuatoputapu. Her Royal Highness, and Lord Tuita are scheduled to be in Niuatoputapu for a few hours before returning to Nuku‘alofa via Vava‘u later today.
The Hon Minister for Environment, Lord Ma‘afu, is scheduled to remain on Niuatoputapu to take charge of the emergency relief and rehabilitation work that is being carried out on the island.
A Royal New Zealand Air Force PC3 Orion aircraft departed Nuku‘alofa for Niutoputapu at 12:00 noon today to take aerial photographs of the island as well as to do an aerial survey of the neighbouring islands of Niuafo‘ou and Tafahi to ensure they did not suffer any damage.
The Tonga Defence Service's patrol boat, VOEA Neiafu, which had only recently returned from a thorough refitting in Cairns, Australia, under the Australian Defence Cooperation Programme, arrived at Niuatoputapu at 6:30pm yesterday evening with the first consignment of emergency food, clothing, tents, and medical supplies. It successfully docked at the islands Pasivulangi wharf which did not suffer any damage from the earthquake and tsunami. Also on board were tools and machinery for debris clearance and other small projects assistance.
Apart from the VOEA Neiafu's crew of 18, there were 9 officers from the Tonga Defence Service, and 34 others from Government departments including the Prime Minister...s Office, Health, Education, Police, Works, Tonga Broadcasting Commission and Tonga Red Cross.
An Operation Command Centre was established at the Niuatoputapu High School, which also escaped any damage. The Centre is under the direction of Mr. Paula Ma...u from the PMO and Capt. Toni Fonokalafi of the TDS. A full scale survey of the island is being conducted today to ascertain the full extent of the destruction. A full report on this is expected from the island later today, but the early indications are that the destruction will not reach the 90% of the houses mark that we reported yesterday.
Regular telephone communications with the island is still not possible, but conversation with the island is now possible via satellite telephones. Journalists that traveled up with the VOEA Neiafu have been able to file media reports from the island which were broadcast live on national radio this morning. These will continue throughout the day. Internet connection has also been re-established via the satellite dish that PMO staff had set up earlier this year at Niuatoputapu High School.
There are now 9 confirmed deaths, and four persons with life threatening injuries. The identities of the dead have not been released publicly yet, although they have all been interred. The 4 critically injured were evacuated to Nuku...alofa on the aircraft that landed on the island yesterday. Two other persons with serious injuries, but who had not wanted to be evacuated yesterday, will be done so today. A temporary medical centre on Niutoputapu has been established at the Hall of the Free Wesleyan Church of Tonga at the village of Hihifo.
The update from the Director of Health, Dr. Siale ‘Akau‘ola, in Nuku‘alofa this morning is that all the 4 evacuees were put in the Intensive Care Units yesterday, and today three of the four have been released into the regular ward.
The fund-raising radiothon that was held in Nuku‘alofa yesterday was able to raise a cash amount of TOP$40,000 plus, as well as 8 tonnes of donated clothes and food, most of which were picked up from throughout the villages of Tongatapu. People also came forward with packages and suitcases of clothing and bedding items specifically marked for their relatives on the island.
We take the opportunity to make a specific appeal here for items for which there is serious need but which don...t seem to show up in the items that been donated so far. The needed items are: tarpaulins, water purification tablets, roofing iron and guttering, candles, biscuit crackers, water containers, washing soap, tooth paste and brushes, shoes, torched and batteries. Request for specific items not showing up in donated items.
The French Navy's ship, FNS Revi, arrived in Nuku‘alofa this morning. The request that it be allowed to ship emergency supplies to Niuatoputapu has been approved and it is scheduled to depart Nuku...alofa early Saturday morning with the items that have been donated as well as construction materiel and equipment that the Government has put together. The French have also offered 2500 MRE rations (ready to eat meals) which are also being saved for the people of Niuatoputapu.
Discussions with the Australian and New Zealand governments about the specific assistance and levels of assistance are ongoing. The result of the survey currently being carried out on Niuatoputapu will of course inform this discussion. The Japanese Government has also expressed its desire to assist but awaits the Government...s direction.
We have received reports from the Ministry of Lands Survey and Natural Resources that since the big earthquake of Wednesday morning they have recorded 74 ...seismic events... within Tonga...s exclusive economic zone ranging from 4 to 7 on the Richter scale. (There was one of a magnitude of 6.3 at around 2.00pm local time today!) They also reported that they are monitoring smoke that is emanating from the mouth of dormant volcano on the island of Tofua in the Ha...apai Group.
According to the District Officer of Niuatoputapu there were 844 persons on the island, when the earthquake struck on Wednesday morning. (The last Census in 2006 recorded a population of 950 persons, in 192 households.) PMO, 02/10?09.